How a husband's marriage betrayal cost him an extra $70k

A MAN who used pen and watch cameras to secretly film his wife naked and post the videos on pornographic websites has been ordered to pay her $70,000 in damages in their divorce case.

The husband was jailed for nine months for stalking after the couple's "deeply upset'' teenage daughter borrowed his iPad and discovered explicit videos of her mother.

In an Australian precedent, Federal Circuit Court Judge Philip Burchardt has ordered the Victorian man, 52, to pay his wife an extra $70,000 in their divorce settlement for "breach of confidence''.

The woman was horrified to discover her husband had been using a pen camera, and a camera on his watch, to secretly take naked photos and videos of her showering, sleeping and dressing.

The husband posted them on 33 pornographic websites. He told the court he got "carried away" with the feedback.

Judge Burchardt said the man had been "feasting on the offensive responses'', which were "clearly disgusting''.

The wife had been "utterly horrified'' by her husband's "outrageous'' actions.

"She had made an attempt at suicide … she has been on antidepressants for some time and carries drugs with her at all times,'' he said in his newly published judgment.

The first porn site posting was a photo the couple took consensually in 2007, but the husband "rapidly proceeded to surreptitious means''.

"He knew perfectly well that the wife did not want to be photographed in this way, not least because she smashed his pen camera and then his watch camera,'' Judge Burchardt said.

"In any event, he would have reasonably known, given her slightly prudish background… that this would be extremely hurtful and distressing to her.''

The Catholic wife, whose name cannot be published, sought $250,000 in compensation, but the judge said this was grossly excessive.

He awarded her $70,000, on top of 60 per cent of the couple's superannuation and half their property pool.

The judge said the husband had not posted the porn out of revenge or malice, but was simply fecklessly selfish and indifferent.

The judge said the wife, 52, had worked throughout the 27-year marriage and was unhappy that her husband had failed to help with housework or gardening, "would not eat his dinner if it was not on time'', only let her watch one TV show and had an expensive habit of buying collectable Matchbox cars.